Alone Together
by OCGirl94
Summary: Po wouldn't replace his Papa for anything in the world. But, sometimes he can't help but wonder why they don't look alike, why no one in the Valley looks like him. When the two are asked to provide lunch for Bau Gu Orphanage's adoption day, Po meets someone with the very same question. Disclaimer: I don't own KFP


**A/N: Hi again, guys! Have another random oneshot! I wrote this a long time ago, and it's probably been done before. But, in honor of kfp3, I decided to finally post it! Po and Tigress are my favorites of all the kfp characters. I'm still not a hundred precept sure I ship them romantically. But, I just love their interactions in kfp2 and 3. So, I wrote this little thing! I'm even considering turning this into a series of oneshots...Please don't judge me and my many plotless, time-wasting oneshots. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!**

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A goose was waddling slowly down the street. As he went, everyone he passed couldn't help but turn and stare. They weren't staring at him, though. For everyone he passed was an animal too, you see. However, the other animals did stare, quite openly, at the young panda bear who walked beside him, dragging a cart stocked with pots and pans, vegetables and spices, and everything else one might need to cook, and eat, delicious noodle soup.

The goose paid no attention to the gawkers as he asked, "You're sure you've got it, Po? We can't afford any more…accidents. Otherwise, we won't have time to prepare before the adults arrive. Bau Gu Orphange's adoption day is very important." A grin spread across his bill. "Imagine the publicity! Not to mention that one of the orphanage's donors agreed to pay quite handsomely…"

The panda, Po, felt his skin flush crimson under his thick black and white fur. He hung his head slightly in shame, but mumbled, "Yes, Papa. No more accidents."

The goose, whose name was Mr. Ping, chuckled good-naturedly and put a wing under his adopted son's chin, lifting it back up. "Now, now," he said, "accidents happen to us all, right?"

Po's chin lifted a bit more at that and the smile returned to his face. "Right."

Nevertheless, the goose kept a wing at the ready, just in case.

XxX

Po loved to cook. His father had been teaching him ever since he could remember and it was his favorite pastime (ok, second only to eating). Nevertheless, it wasn't every day Po got the chance to meet so many new kids. So, Mr. Ping told his son that he would handle the cooking today and sent the panda off to play.

Po met all sorts of children. Bunnies, goats, sheep, ducks, even an ox who was almost three times his size; but, as had happened so many times before, he never met anyone like himself.

Papa had told him that this was because he was special. The strange thing was, whenever he said this, just for a second, Po thought, he looked…sad.

These thoughts made Po feel rather sad himself. So, he turned away from the sunny courtyard, ringing with the sounds of laughter and playful shouts, and made his way to the cool, dark interior of the orphanage.

Po sighed. Papa said being different wasn't bad. But, the young panda couldn't help but wonder: why did he have to be different? How was it good if there was no one else, maybe in the _whole world_ who was like you? How was it good if he was all alone?

These were some of the panda's thoughts as he wandered the many rooms and corridors of Bau Gu Orphanage. As his mood sank deeper, so his steps took him deeper into the orphanage. Finally, Po stopped. He could feel tears pressing at his eyes. He wanted his Papa.

It was then that he realized he had no idea where he was, or how to get back outside.

Without realizing it, he had made his way to a part of the orphanage that was especially dark and dank. The young panda shivered, though it wasn't due to the now almost cold air. That was when he heard something.

CRASH!

Worse, the sound was followed by a loud, angry growl.

Po stood frozen in place.

When his mind began to work again, it whirled madly. What was that noise? How was he supposed to get out of here? Was the thing that made the noise coming this way? Would it eat him?! But, though he strained, with ears and eyes, into the darkness, he neither heard nor saw a thing.

Po told himself to calm down. Papa said there were no such things as monsters. He had probably just imagined the noise. Papa also told him that imagining was something he was very good at. However, that still left the problem of finding the way out. He tried to retrace his steps, like Papa did when he lost something, but, since he hadn't really been paying attention to which way he was going as he'd walked, he didn't get far that way. Just as tears were beginning to prick at his eyes once more, he heard another noise, something that sounded like crying. Forgetting his own dilemma, and moving as quietly as he could, the panda followed the sound, until he came to a thick wooden door, with an even thicker metal lock. Fortunately, Po was quickly learning that his claws made excellent lock picks. (No lock Mr. Ping had found yet could keep Po from his midnight snacks.) So, picking the lock on this door was an easy task. Unfortunately, the room's occupant heard the lock click. As soon as Po opened the door, he was met with the most vicious snarl a young tiger cub could muster.

"Go away!"

It wasn't much, but it was enough to frighten the panda. With a gasp, he tumbled into the hall, landing on his back.

Above him, there was another gasp. After a moment, the face of the young tiger moved into his line of sight. Crimson eyes locked with jade. There was a pause. Po made no attempt to run, not even to sit up.

Slowly, quietly, the tiger asked, "Who are you?"

"I-I'm Po."

The quaver in Po's voice was not lost on the tiger. A flash of sadness in bloodshot ruby eyes was quickly masked by anger. The tiger turned away. "Well, whoever you are, you'd better run away before the _monster_ gets you." An almost inaudible sigh. "I'm sure someone will want to adopt you anyway."

Po shook his head at that, though the tiger couldn't see. "My Papa and I came to make lunch for adoption day." Now, he cocked his head. "How come you're not outside?"

The tiger cub laughed humorlessly. "You saw the lock. I'm not allowed out on adoption days. Who would want to adopt a monster like me?"

Again, Po only cocked his head in confusion. "You're not a monster. Papa taught me about all kinds of animals. You're a tiger."

Slowly, the tiger turned back to this newcomer, Po, who was still on his back on the floor. "Y-you're not…afraid of me?"

Po shook his head, then, seeming to remember the fact that he was currently sprawled on the floor, shot up and said, a little too loudly, "No!"

Despite herself, the tiger let a tiny giggle slip.

Po grinned at this, glad to see the sad crimson eyes brighten a little. "Hey," he said after a moment, "I told you my name, but you never told me yours."

The tiger gave a tiny, almost shy smile. "I'm Tigress."

Po stuck out a paw and said in his most polite voice, "It's nice to meet you, Tigress."

Tigress only stared at the offered paw. "Why are you sticking your paw out?"

Po shrugged. "Papa said I had to be on my best behavior today. That means, when you meet someone new, you use your politest voice, and, for some reason, you have to shake their paw."

Tigress raised her own paw uncertainly, eyeing the rough black paw pads, the too-strong fingers, the sharp, black claws.

Oblivious, Po reached out and took her paw in his. But, when the tiger's grip tightened in reflexive fear, he was quick to jerk away with a small yelp.

In an instant, Tigress' eyes widened, fresh tears filling the bright red orbs before she could turn away. "See?! I am just a monster!"

Behind her, there was a soft, awestruck, "Wow…"

In shock, the tiger turned back, forgetting even to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"You're so strong!" Po shouted, as if it were the greatest thing in all the world. "I bet you'd be awesome at playing Kung Fu. Want to?"

Tigress made no answer, unable to find a word to say.

Po took the silence as a refusal. After all, not everyone loved Kung Fu quite as much as he did. So, he did what he usually did when embarrassed, tried to stammer and mutter his way to freedom: "I-if not, that's ok. I just thought, maybe…"

"You want to play…with me?"

"Sure! We can play whatever you want. I just…really like Kung Fu; and I thought… But, you wanna play something else?"

"How do you…play Kung Fu?"

Once again, Po found himself cocking his head in confusion. In the Valley of Peace, everyone knew at least _something_ about Kung Fu. It was the art used by the masters who lived up at the Jade Palace to protect the Valley. In the Valley, pretend Kung Fu was most every child's favorite game, even if a number of their parents were against it. "You don't know?"

"No…"

Seeing the sadness returning to his new friend's face, Po spoke hurriedly. "It's easy! We just pretend to fight, like all the masters do. It's my favorite game!"

"I don't know," was the tiger's uncertain answer. "I-I don't want to hurt you…"

"Please?" The panda put on his best puppy-dog face, the same one that had won him many a third helping at dinner.

"I guess…I could try."

"Yes! This is gonna be awesome!"

For close to an hour, the two played together, not even minding that the halls they ran through were dark and slightly chilly. From Kung Fu to Hide-and-Seek, Po introduced Tigress to all the best games know to childkind. And not once did he get hurt…aside from tripping over his own feet in his haste. When they played Kung Fu and Tigress accidently struck her new friend in the stomach with more force than she meant to, she was once again shocked, when the panda only giggled and said, "That tickled!"

At last, exhausted, the two stopped to rest leaning against the wall side-by-side. Once she had caught her breath, Tigress asked, in that almost timid voice, "Po?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I'm a tiger, like you said. I've heard the people in charge of the orphanage talking about me. But…have you ever seen any other tigers in the Valley?"

Po was silent for a long moment, brow scrunched in thought. At last, he said quietly, "No, I don't think so."

Tigress let her head hang slightly at that. "I really am all alone then…"

Po glanced quickly at his new friend. He had to say something to bring her smile back. But what? Almost without his thinking about it, the words began to spill from his mouth, soft in the silence all around them.

"Papa said I'm called a panda bear. A-and Papa…he's my Papa, but, he doesn't look like me. And nobody else in the Valley looks like me either. So, I guess I'm alone too… But, if you want, we can be alone together. Ok?"

There was a long silence after that. And, when Tigress looked back up at him, there were tears in her eyes once more, but they were joined by the tiny smile on her face. "Ok."


End file.
